외교부

Remarks on the Occasion of the July 4th Reception

Ambassador Joseph Yun,

Distinguished Guests,

Good evening everyone.

First of all, warm congratulations on the 249th Independence Day of the United States of America.

The 4th of July not only marks the independence of the United States.

It is also a day to celebrate the universal values of freedom and democracy.

The Korean people embrace and share the same lofty democratic values.

So, this day resonates with us, Korean people too.

“To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men”, and “whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.”

The spirit of these words from the Declaration of Independence is timeless.

It is embodied in constitutions of democratic countries around the world, including that of the Republic of Korea.

Our spirit of freedom and democracy has been proven time and time again, especially in moments of national crisis.

In those moments, the unwavering support and trust by the U.S. has been invaluable.

Our American friends have always been by our side,

whenever our freedom and democracy were under threat.

To defend those common values, America fought with us during the Korean War.

This year marks its 75th anniversary.

At that time, more than 1.8 million young Americans came to help.

They “answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.”

36,000 of them made the ultimate sacrifice.

Some in the United States may refer to the Korean War as ‘the Forgotten War.’

But in Korea, their contribution and sacrifice to defend our freedom and democracy has never been forgotten.

It remains indelibly etched in our collective memory.

Even today, many US servicemen and women are on duty here to safeguard our freedom and democracy.

In deep appreciation of their noble service, please join me in applauding their invaluable dedication far away from home.

The year 2025 holds great significance.

Both President Trump and President Lee Jae Myung began their terms this year.

President Trump won a landslide victory with his slogan, “Make America Great Again”.

President Lee was also elected with strong support with his catch-phrase, “The Real Korea”.

In their first call on June 6, the two leaders agreed to work together to further advance the Alliance.

As the “America, made great again”, and “the Real Korea” work together, I believe there is no challenge we cannot overcome.

By strengthening cooperation spanning all dimensions,

including the economy, military, and emerging technologies,

we will develop our Alliance into a “future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance.”

This will lead to a new golden age for our Alliance.

At the heart of any strong partnership are its people.

The people here today and this moment of harmony will be the bedrock of the Alliance,

one of the most successful alliances in the world.

I look to you for your continued support and part played for the Alliance. And to that end, I would like to propose a toast.

Let me invite Amb. Yun for the toast.

Please all raise your glasses,

I would like to invite you to join in the toast :

I will say ‘We go together’, You can say ‘같이 갑시다’

We go together. 같이 갑시다! 

/END/